If you run an older version of Dynamics NAV and have been putting off an ERP upgrade—or if you run NAV 2016 and wonder if it’s worth the effort to upgrade to the new version, take a look at NAV 2017. With the latest release, Microsoft not only improves on core ERP functionality, they add a range of new features to help you work smarter and faster. Combine these with a painless upgrade path from Western Computer, and you have no reason not to upgrade.
Enhanced Core Functionality
The core ERP functionality in Dynamics NAV gets better with each release, and NAV 2017 is no exception. New Item Attributes give you more flexibility to define your products and items—and eliminate the need for one of the most common customization requests. An improved Chart of Accounts, which now includes Account Categories and Sub-Categories, helps you standardize reports and exert more control over spending. And, new setup wizards simplify integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, replacing the old CRM Connector and further reducing the need for custom coding.
New Advanced Functionality
But more exciting—the new release includes features that let even small and midsize businesses benefit from advanced technologies such as cloud analytics.
•Integration with Office 365. If you use Office 365, you can speed up processes and improve accuracy by allowing people to access ERP functionality from within the Office client. NAV 2017 includes an add-in that allows you to create and send invoices from the Outlook calendar. The add-in can also save mail attachments to the Incoming Documents List or scan documents and enter data directly into NAV 2017. This eliminates several steps including manual data entry. Another add-in allows you to sync contacts between NAV 2017 and Office 365 People.
•Embedded Power BI and Cortana intelligence. NAV 2016 introduced Power BI integration, and NAV 2017 builds on this feature. You can now embed reports and dashboards, and use self-service tools to create custom reports. Reports you create in Power BI surface in the NAV 2017 Role Centers, so users have the insights and information they need within NAV. The ability to share data with the Cortana Intelligence service offers even more powerful BI capabilities, including predictive analytics and artificial intelligence.
•Unlimited Extensibility. You can extend NAV 2017 even further using third-party extensions and apps. Extensions offer an easy way to get industry-specific or unique business functionality while reducing custom coding. You can browse hundreds of apps in Dynamics 365 AppSource, and add them to NAV 2017—without touching the source code.
Western Computer Makes Upgrades Painless
Upgrading your ERP can be a scary proposition. But we think the benefits of NAV 2017provide some compelling reasons. In addition, Western Computer offers two deployment options that can ease the pain of updating your systems.
If you’re interested in updating to NAV 2017, but want to minimize reduce the cost of consulting and development work, Western’s “Fresh Start” or “New Start” upgrade models might be right for you.
•The Fresh Start upgrade brings forward your NAV data, but no other objects. This approach maintains your transaction history but eliminates legacy code, customizations, and reports that may be obviated by the new functionality in NAV 2017. The volume and quality of your data can affect performance, but you benefit from only using the new code.
•The New Start upgrade brings forward only selected historical data. This allows you to maintain a record of certain past transactions in NAV 2017 while improving performance and creating an opportunity to update your Chart of Accounts. We can archive your entire transaction history to a separate database for reporting or analysis. Only customizations and reports that are not replaced by new features of NAV 2017 will need to be recoded.
If you’d like to learn more about the new features and functionality and the best way for you to upgrade to NAV 2017, watch our OnDemand webinar. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Our Dynamics experts are happy to help.
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